Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Gauhati University’s Department of English held the fifth Homen Borgohain Memorial Lecture on Thursday, October 29. The event centered on the environment, culture, and society of the Brahmaputra Valley. Keynote speaker and geographer Abani Kumar Bhagabati led the discussion.
Journalist and Nagaland University Chancellor Samudra Gupta Kashyap accepted the fifth Homen Borgohain Memorial Award during the ceremony. Gauhati University Vice-Chancellor Nani Gopal Mahanta served as chief guest. Lalan Kishore Singh, who heads the English department, opened the program by reviewing Borgohain’s life and work. Attendees participated in a traditional lamp-lighting to start the proceedings.
Mahanta shared personal memories of Borgohain. He noted the writer’s deep focus on Assamese prose and his frustration with its current quality. Kashyap used his time to demand better journalistic standards. He insisted that reporters must separate fact from opinion to restore public trust. "If there can be Indian English, there can be Kamrupiya English as well," Bhagabati told the audience while arguing for stronger linguistic identity.
Bhagabati linked the Brahmaputra River to Borgohain’s literature. He mentioned the Charikoria River and Mohghuli Chapori as vital touchstones. The geographer warned of dwindling aquatic life, specifically noting the decline of Gangetic river dolphins and local fish. He pointed to the university campus as a microcosm of regional biodiversity.
The lecture addressed the harsh realities of life on the islands of Majuli and Hatiya. Bhagabati highlighted how indigenous groups, including the Bodo, Karbi, and Mising, adapt their homes to fight floods and natural disasters. He urged officials to prioritize riverbank erosion, elephant deaths, and the overall loss of biodiversity. Pradipta Borgohain closed the event by lamenting the state of modern reading habits and calling for the protection of intellectual traditions.
Comments